In Love with a Devil

Chapter 39 Heaven and Earth

You stand on the deck and lean against the boat's railing, feeling a slight pain under your stomach. It's unbearably quiet with the occasional soft cry or sniffle. This was it... the last line of defense at stopping Eren and the rumbling. The plane was far out of sight now, which filled your heart with worry and dread. You couldn't bear it if you lost anyone else.

You look up at the sky and try holding back tears when Annie breaks the silence.

"So where are we going?" Annie asks sullenly.

"Our course will have us in Hizuru within several days. Lady Mikasa and the others will stop the rumbling. I have faith in them" Lady Kiyomi Azumabito says.

'I have faith in you...'

You feel your heart sink at that phrase, sitting in silence as they speak.

"Unfortunately, Hizuru as a nation may be in a state of collapse due to the circumstances... I cannot say what lies ahead of us when we get there." she continues.

"Guess that means fish for every meal" Annie adds.

There's a pause before Lady Azumabito sighs and stares out at the sea longingly.

"Zeke and Eren were brought together because of me... I suppose there's nothing I can do to right the mistake of causing this mass slaughter..." she says sadly.

"If it was possible, would you choose to exclude Hizuru from getting involved? And just let the Eldians and Paradis die?" Annie asks.

"...Time moves only forward. But I'll regret it till the end. Not everything I did was for the benefit of the Eldians. I sought my clan's interests and honor first... Why is it that we learn after loss before realizing how to respect others for simply existing in the same world as us?"

"It's too late..."

You hang your head low as they speak. You didn't have much to add, though what was the point? It became a waiting game as soon as everyone departed. One team tries to stop the efforts while the other waits to see if they succeed. It made you sick...

Gabi and Falco come out of the cabin with concerned faces, though you were the only one who looked up at them.

"Annie... I just had a dream..." Falco says dauntingly.

"A dream? From Galliard?" Annie asks.

"No... From Zeke. I think they were his memories." he replies.

"The Female Titan can gain the abilities of other titans by consuming their spinal fluid, right?" Gabi asks inquisitively.

"Yes. It's able to manifest whatever it eats. Why?"

Gabi and Falco both gasp and start talking over one another excitedly.

"That means!-"

"There could be a way!"

"Both of you shut it! Why don't you go shovel coal or something??" Annie snaps, but pauses as her gaze softens. "You said memories from Zeke?..."

"Yes. I accidentally swallowed his spinal fluid and turned into a titan when he screamed on Paradis, just before the rumbling started." Falco explains.

"He may have some of the Beast Titan's power because of it" Gabi says.

"I see... Go on." Annie says blankly.

"The memory is flying above the clouds. Me flying above the clouds. I could feel it."

Annie gaps softly, and you walk over to him.

"What are you trying to say, Falco?" you ask, holding his shoulder.

"I think... I think I can transform into a titan that can fly."

"If he can, we can fly to the fight and help!" Gabi adds.

"Slow down, you don't even know if you can transform, let alone into a titan that can fly." Annie warns.

"We are warriors! We've been training to become wielders of one of the nine titans! We have to try!" Falco says determinedly.

"That's out of the question... You've seen what transformations look like. It would blow up the ship. If it didn't work on the first try, we'd be left for dead in the middle of the sea." Annie continues.

Gabi and Falco look down in defeat, their faces riddled with grief. You couldn't help but agree with Annie. What could they do at this point? You chose to bench yourself, Annie opted out of the fight, and the children would only be added casualties. The safest option was to get as far away from the rumbling as possible and wait...

You look out at the sea and bite your cheek. What kind of plan was running away? The Scouts never ran from a fight. The rest of them were giving it their all... why couldn't you?

"Lady Azumabito, are there any other boats on board?" you ask.

"There are small row boats for docking on each side. Why?" she replies.

"The engineers, and yourself can use those to get back to Hizuru. If there's a chance to help, we shouldn't hold back." you say proudly.

"I agree. They need as much help as they can get" Kiyomi adds.

"And you join the fight? I don't think you're cut out for combat" Annie says, gesturing towards your stomach.

You hold it softly and sigh, already feeling the proposal being shot down.

"I'll go. If someone has to go, then it shouldn't be two kids alone." Annie says as she puts her hair up.

The kid's faces light up and she takes them to the center of the ship. Kiyomi orders for the rowboats to be let down and the engineers follow suit. They help one another get into the boats and Kiyomi helps you into one as well. They steer the boats away from the ship and watch silently in the distance.

There's only one shot at this... if it fails, we'll all die at sea. You think to yourself, clutching to your stomach tightly. You watch as a flash of yellow light strikes the ship, steam and a shriek of an animal erupting from it. You watch as something starts rising above the ship, huge wings extending multiple feet long and a beak on its face.

Falco was able to transform into his Jaws Titan, and he was right: he had wings. Gabi and Annie climb onto his back and wave as they head the opposite way, leaving you and the rest of the Azumabito clan at the mercy of the sea.

"That must have been a difficult call, Mrs Ackerman" Kiyomi says, holding your shoulder softly.

"Let's just hope it was the right one..."